Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE WEEKLY SM IIHIQN TIMES. gaoled to ^ririctilliirc, horticulture. Domestic dhonomij, polite literature, politics, and the Current $etU3 of the D!U?? VOL. XVII.?New Series. UNION C. II., SOUTH CAROLINA, SEPTEMBER 24, IS8G. NUMBER 33. " RECOLLECTIONS " OF Till! McKissick Rax<;ers. IIV A MKMItKll. NO. 1. Wbcn wo get <o Virginia I shall ask Ihc indulgence "f your readers to pay my respects to the "Conscript law." There we began to see urul feci its practical working. On tlie coast wc had a great deal of fun out of it. Fiauk Milwood and his cousin Shell Fowler furnished fun for the command. Jim McCullouch took no small part iu it, too. These and many other matters connected with it, 1 will try and bring in at tho proper time and plact,*. I promised the readers, though, that I would take them back on Hear s Island. This is not uu Island, in its proper sense. It is a pcuiusula, lying between I'on l'on and Ashepoo rivers, the waters of which are connected by a canal. This canal had been used by the planters to transport their products to market, ltoads were, in many places, thrown up anil constituted embankments to protect the rico farms. In some places a horse walking on it would shake the grouud for Bcveral feet around. Asastragctic point it had no military significance whatever. The roads from Jacksonborough to the point at the head of St. Helena sound was, for about four utiles, under cover of our guns at Willtown battery, on tho opposite side of l'on l'on river. Tltij river below Willtown was obstructed so as to render the passage of vessels impossible. With these advantages in our favor the Confederate authorities discontinued -the picket guard ott itear's Island, and iu April, 0'J, they were drawn in. Previously our headquarters were on the opposite side of the river, a little below Willtown. About half way between picket headquarters and iho joint was the ".Matthew's place,'' at which wo had kept a picket guard since our first occupation of the Island. This was our first picket headquarters. 1 Set ween t lie Matthews place and Mosquit > creek we had torn up all the biidges. The same was done on the road leading to the point of Hear s Island. Thus our position was comparatively secure from any advance the enemy might attempt to make. The section of couutry around the Matthews place might be compared to the desert of Sahara, only it was mud aud water instead of sand. t> nan oasis stood the Matthews house and outbuildings. On all sid-s as far as the eye coul I resell was a vast plain. The Matthews house was a long building with a piazza on one side and acoss one end. A dense thicket of shrubbery surrounded liuj _housu .ou three sides;?In'tfont of the houso, and in tlie direction of tiie enemy, stood our pickets. The post was about 'JiW yards from the house a! a bridge thai crossed the canal, on iho opposite side of which the roads forked?one leading toward the jiuiiii mi * i i uu uuiiT i >" ir'i.~ mosquito crceii. The house was high enough from the ground for n horse lo stand under it. At ttie time vvc are going t > speak of, tlie bridge across the canal had been torn up. au l <?ur picket guards were standing in the piazza. < tuo night, about the first of March, while on guard with Jim Mct'ulloch, Frank .Millwood and John Faucelt, at this place, wo were thrown into considerable excitement. John Faucelt and Frank Millwood were standing in the piazza at the end of the house. Jim McCullouch and myself wcro in the other end of the house asleep. It was just before daybreak. The crescent moon was rising above the eastern horizon, and gave a dim light through the foliage. A pistol fired, and in an instant another shot rang out in the air. I was aroused. 1 heard Frank say men to your p < <(.' John raised the yell and came running to the door halloeing "fall iu Company 1), fall in. I.i. Fuss deploy yt ur skirmishers and give 'em h 11. I had had been with John before, and knew his tactics when lie wanted to play the "Mull". 1 had this advantage of Jim, hut you need not think that either of us went into ecstaeics over our apparent surrouti lings. 1 bad gathered my coat for my pants ami stove my foot into the sleeve up to my knee. We had no time to make a light. My pistols were out in the piazza without caps on them. 1 gathered my snhinc and gun, threw open the do?r. and prejarcd to shoot and cut my way out. All tins was the work of a few moment-. Me found the as>atiltinir nariv was I in llie rear of the house, ami between us nml J our relitI'. Mow far .!< Iin had succeeded in binding we bad n>> means of knowing. Hut, whatever was done, must be done soon. It would never do f"f daylight to come and reveal our true situation. Our pistol* were recipped. nml wo loll secure against reasonable odds. Our hor.-es v ere saddled. The only way of escape w as by I lie roil I <>ur enein c* w ere holdlng. A emeus was Jield, and the siluatiou discussed, hurriedly. The conclusion was, wc must "get up and get. ' Next was, "who will go forward. bike tlie invited guests all made excuses At last Stonewall Jackson" was turned into the toad at the gallop. So were the others. I'.aeli rider with pistol in hand. Wc ha I to ride by tile. I'or some of us this tvas perhaps to be the last ride. Vs wc drew near the dark avenue, walled on each side with dense thi?.k,'s, "Stonewall' raised his head on I through dilated nostril* announ 1 the presence of our enemy. Spurs pressed him | forward, and -o<>11 wc had run the gauntlet and were shooting like ?o many arrow-* up the side of the c ued, "l'linec da-lied past like a par roil shell. My horse ."tumbled and fell and 1 lost my cap. Ilelore m.v horse recovered they ' were till past me and I jro?. down to hunt my | cap. One fellow says conic on, they cm kill ] u- yet." 1 could not fuel the cap, s<> 1 mounted and rode on barehcade I with the others towards j our relief. John l ancet! reported to pocket headquarter-1. The rest of u- stopped. I tied : my handkerchief nroun 1 my head. Soon Lieut. I Mahry Thomas had the whole reserve at tlo: | place. I. 'tk ut Mitchell rode up to me antl j said "hello; Sallie Worthy, are you here." We went hack to our post. The Lieut, ami rehet went with us. It was now daylight. We found old sh< -cs, hats, bonnets, shawls, walking sticks, &c., strewn along the road which revealed the character of our fie, who had taken to the marsh when they heard us coming behind them. \\ v found out from an old darkey living near our picket post that a large body of the slaves from the up county, as it were, had that night attempted to get to the yankecs, but I coming upon our pickets they wore stopped. Sonic of them, however, got past and were taken on IMisto Island that evening. Somo we found, and otlu rs relume 1 to their homes. I iuuiiu iujr vuj' 111 uiu cugc oi i no Winer, in i lie cuual, just ready to be taken oil" by the rising tide. On another occasion before this, I was on picket at I he same place. Hill Savage and Gilliam Thomas were on post with uie. We were standing sit the bridge which I have told you was about yards from the Mathews house. Tom Fowler, (long hungry) with the rest of the relief was in the house asleep. It was as dark a night as I ever saw, 1 think. In rear of the house, in a little hut, lived an old negro who had a little dog. Soon after we went on past the dog began to bark, and kept it up for at least on : hour. Our horses were restless. The ducks and frogs kept such a quacking and croaking, which, together with the barkiug of the dog made the night hideous. The bridge across lite canal had not been torn up. The night was so dark we could not see ten steps trotn us. We brought a horse on post. I till Savage watched the horse and Gilliam and 1 watched the road in (runt. From tJie usfiotx of xhc horse we found that the trouble was in the direction of tiie house. 1 told Hill and Gilliam to mind the post, and 1 wouM go buck and sec what was the matter, or put tiic reserve 011 their guaril. W lien 1 passed around the house 1 toil ud a drove of "marsh ponies" picking about among the rose bushes. A little Jack begau to bray, ami this aroused the men in the house. As I returned to my post, passing tiio end of the piazza, I saw 'font Fowler standing with his coat, shoes and hut allot!'. I spoko to him. lie was like Zicbariah ?speechless. 1 spoke again and ho kuew mo. lie said "who was that blowing that horn. ' 1 told hint "it was that cavalry in the rear of the house sounding a charge." llcar'.s Island could beat the world for ducks, bees, "got bers" and sweet potatoes. It wits without doubt the richest laud I ever saw. Many kinds of game could be found ou it. I leer was plentiful. 1 don't expect there was another section ia the whole rice enmtv of the saute size that raised at. e-ptal puritiry of that article. I lie first night I ever stayed on Hoar's Island, Jack tsunami myself were put mi guard at a place where ' <H) bushels uf rice ha l been burned in one j ito. Wo hitched our horses at the base of a straw pile to protect them front the cold wind. The fog e>u the river was so heavy we eoul 1 -co but a short distance, not half way across the stream. We elitube I to the tup <> 1" i!ic straw stick, dug nut holes, Wrap) cl our blankets around us and buried ourselves iu the straw up to our necks. Jack ha 1 his lace turned one way and mine was the other. The wind blew a gale all night. In the river the water lashed itself into a foam. A col I rain set in soon after we hal got ensconce 1 in our comparatively comfortable posilions, which at times turncl to sleet. In this position we spent along, cohl January night. Next morning when we left, I could scarcely ride, I was so benumbed, and Jack was in the same fix. This night 1 contracted the "pleuritic atl'eclion,' id' which 1 have heretofore spoken. It was not custom try for one relief to stand all night, but we had agreed t > do so, in order to get relieved next day and night. It was no fault of l.icut. Thomas , hut our own volunliiiy wis After we rolnrned to our liendipiarters next morning, we found our men had procure 1 a lot of honey, 'lite bees were tlying about in the cold rain as though it was June. 1*1 P..I....I .1 i ? II.II */???v? MUM vi|'iuivu lur >^111115 mm honey, 'no li ul nothing to eat with it hut "havl tack, ' mi l it was .1 poor go. As 1 have already intimate I our men foumi out that they caiM ilispense with picket <luty on t!ii~ Is'.uml, ami ve were withdrawn. We ma le one rai.l even then a short time before we went t > Virginia, of which I will tell your readers a( er a while. Col. Stevens like I for his snHieis to attcml church, lie was truly a goo'I man. (if course we coul I get permission from our company ollicers go to church, or anywhere e'se we want el hut when we ha.I (.. pavs through several lines of troops it was necessary to get permission front Keginieiit.a! liea l.juarters at least, of go in company with .some eoiiimi.-sionc I ollicers : s. several of u?. inel.i ling Joe Leech, got pcriui-siun to goto Willtown i> hear an I'.pi copal minister preach. C >1. Stevens, I think, helonge l to that ilemmiin itioii. The church lmihliiig sliuwcl the weilth ami refinement of the congregation thai Innl l.eeu acousLonio'l to w irship there. Willi til ill poliiencss for whieh that ilraomiiialioii are proverbial, wi were invite 1 I) seals. We fell ourselves ai home. As the minister stepped ini > the pulpit the organ announce! "Sweet Hour nl' I'raver. The music was siinoi-1. Tin' organi-t wiis mistress of her situation. Slie was certainly an cuhodiiucnt ?>1* all itie refinement. graft' an?l beauty of which South t'arolinn hou>tod >)i hotter "lay-. The minister was none iltc less so. UN test was. Keel. XI chajttor an 1 'Mli verse?"ltejoicc, it young man, in thy youth, ami let thy heart cheer thee in the Wars of thy youth, ami walk in the ways of thine heart, ami in the sight (if thine eyos. hut know, then, that for all these things Hod will hring thee into judgment. Before the milliter had got half way through reading his text, the ca-o of tiie young -oMier under t'roinwell presenti ! itself ( > my ruin t which I shall relate : it was a pei ial order ot tnat otlicer that every - >' tier under liis eoninrin 1 should always have A I'-iiile in Ins j.ukei. Agiecahly to this i requisition a licentious young soldier carried a copy of the Scriptures which, during au action, was penetrated by a ball from the enemy. After the army had retired from the field this protli- p gate youth had the curiosity to examine how f far the ball had penetrated his llible, and while r he was turning over one leaf after auother the j passage which our Minister had chosen as his text arrested the young soldier s atteution. It 11 proved the happy instrument of enligbteniug v his understanding, of alarming bis conscience, t of changing his heart, and finally saved his c soul. That this Biirae passage, under similar g circumstances, should present itself to me, was j a coincident impressed upon my mind that will . last us long as life. In this connection 1 will further say it is to be lamented that men of tire a sword are tuoro frequently distinguished for u their profligacy than their piety ; tlicy are more t, in the habit of imprecating curses on themselves and others than importuning for blessings. Tho nature of the soldier's occupation tends to inspire him with a degree of hardihood ; with a defiance of danger that often v degenerates into a forgctfulncss, and even deli- a ancc of his God. His unsettled situation in u life, his want of tho regular ordinances of grace, .. his exposure to ensnaring company and various other considerations have a natural tendency to divert his attention from things divine and ( eternal. ^ I am satisfied 1 did not hear such a sermon u preached during iny stay in the army as 1 heard that day. I think it was the last sermon e preached in that house during our stay in that sj section. It was expected every day that a butt'e ^ w ould take place there. The few citizens remaining up to that t ime moved oil', and the doors a of the church were closed. s' While waiting that day for the congregation to assemble, and service to begin, we took a < > stroll down by the battery, llerc we found ^ l'ete Moscley, who bad killed Jim Leech, (Joe s 1 In-other,) and who, l?y eoiue law or finding of tlie jury, or sonic other means, was to serve a term in tho army. I never saw him after that. I'm s. 0 tl A Talk Witii Du. Veddeii.?The w llov. Dr. Vedder and wile have returned to 1, the city and are staying at the Mansion p House ou Droud street. Dr. Vedder, in ? conversation with a llcportcr for the News a ami Courier, said that lie was in Sehcucc- \ tady, N. V., on tho fateful Tuesday, lie ti had no iutiinatioa of the earthquake until t( tho following morning, when tho morning tl papers gave a whole page to the terrible u event, with the appalling declaration that s; no single word e >uid be received fro:" ai Charleston. o The New nrk >Suu contained tho sug- }-' gestiou of a tidal wave," said Dr. Voider. v 'which had swept the dear old eity and ito p inhabitants out of existence. Fearful as it must have been the reality of what was tl suffered here, second only to it was the uncertainty' and suspense endured bv nic and tl mine fur more than twenty-four hours, until h telegraphic eouiuiuuieation was reopeucd. 1 Then it was impossible to get private intel- t( ligence. Dispatches remained unanswered, In and seemingly unnoticed. There was a ci reason for this, well known now, hut then ri inexplicable. The torture of all those hours need not be dwell upon. When the ci first tidings of the awful catastrophe came, S the whole heart of the people of the North g secured to throb with a single impulse of P sympathy lor Charleston. 1 have never seen?scarcely ever conceived?so sponta- T neous, universal aud abounding an emotion h thrilling every class of people. Everything e was forgotten hut the historic and beautiful c; city and its woes. Having an appointment s* to preach in the church of my childhood, w I was requested to speak upon the all-eu- si grossing event, aud did so itnthe few broken words at ury command, aud 1 am sure-no h speaker ever addressed an audience more b in sympathy with his theme, and nrorc con- e sider.ite of his inability to give voice to hi.-- n feelings. Assurance of help were given to >' every degree anil in every form needed, d and this same spirit was manifested every t; where and in all ways. All these things t are known here, and I only mention them r because you ask. It is an alleviation. even * of so fearful aval unity as that which has befallen Charleston, that the tendered h thoughts of the whole land have been lov- t ingly drawn out towards her, and the hand c of help ungrudgingly and gladly extended, t II any heart here desponds for the dear I city, it may find courage in the Interest of; a all the country in its welfare. Let it he s high treason to the glorious traditions ot I Charleston for any one to despair of Ik r r future.' 11 * * 3 Maukyinu PutNuiMi Men.?Marrying i men to reform them has never been a sue I cess fill enterprise on the part of women. | 1 (i iris arc worth too much unmarried to sac- I | rifioo themselves to beat sense into the ! t head of any man on (iod's footstool. Such t a man does not wean so easily as a calf, j llo will go home only to sober up. and then t j not till the other places are closed. A girl I will marry such a man, hoping that on the 1 next year he will be better ; but the next .1 y( ar he will be worse. There are sober 1 boys enough for all the girls ; and there is i ! no nee 1 mirrying a drunkard. ? X-c J'?/ /. 1 | Sim. i FARM WORK FOR SEPTEMBER. Wo have discussed, in former numbers, J (reparation for all crops. The time has come or planting th'.ui. September is the natual and best sctdiug time for grasses, clovor, uccrne, oats rye and barley. We say nat- ^ iral seeding time, beeauso the seeds of the arious plants enumerated are matured in bo summer when it is hot and dry, aud ' veu if the heads are shattered and the ecd scattered on the ground, tho latter lo uot find proper conditions for gcrminat ug till tho later rains set in aud cool nights ^ nd heavy dews prevail. The earlier iu tho lonth -.-wiitiuus arc present tho bctcr it is, oooause ample time is furnished he young plants to establish themselves roll aud firmly in the soil before the 1 reczes of winter. In a wild or unculti- ' atcd state these plants begin their growth ' t time indicated ; this is nature's appoiutleut, therefore, aud is best suited to the auts of the plants, lu uorthcru latitudes, rhere hardest freezes prevail, suow protects Ire young piauts during winter; iu tho ^ louth longer and stronger Autumn growth iust take the place of tho snow covcriug. As winter grasses abound moro in north( rn than in southern latitudes, the conclu lou seeuieil uatural I Hat the heat of South- 1 rn climates was prejudicial lo these plauts; nd one step further iu the same direction ' eeuied reasonable, to wit, that they needed 1 l.adc iu the .South, llence the practice ' 1' seeding grass and clover with small rains to get the benefit of their shade, toubtless some shade is desirable during ' criods of intense heat and drought, but an it be procured iu the manner spoken f, without incurring other injury greater ^ lan the good received when grass is sown C ith grain '! Our observation in that more is | ?st than gaiued. In the first place the rejecting shade is taken away jus*, when ^ lost needed ; grain is harvested in .Tune nd July when the greatest heat and sc- 1 crest droughts prevail, Plants accustomed | ) partial shade are then suddenly exposed ^ ) intensest heat. Hut this is not all. Iu le caso of grasses proper, the grain crops 1 lake demand upon the soil for exactly the une l^n.d the grasses need llcing larger 1 ml ijioie vigorous a- the st:irt, the former 1 .. .1 1.. . . I. - t : i I UIC ^ ill* IIIU UUglUIUng SIIIU el i liou s share o'* the food. At har- ^ est. therefore, tlie grass is suddenly oxoscd to the fiercest rays of the sun when , is comparatively stat ved aud weak from ic unequal struggle. On exceedingly rich iils where there is ample food for both, lis objection docs not hold so strongly, ut such soils are tut generally found, his dilliculty may in part be obviated by ip-dressing in the Spring, llut where uid is so abundant, amply enough for every rop a farmer could wish to cultivate, as a ile. it is better to sow the grasses by tlieindves aud not in conjunction with grain rops. This gives them ati opportunity of ctting strong during the early stages of rowth, when they are naturally weak, and uts them on vautage ground wlion the rugglo with heat and drought begins, heso remarks apply with greater ircc to the annual winter grasses and lovers which complete their growth in ' arly spring. These of necessity uTust be ' jwn by themselves or with some crop ^ diieh follows after them, hut docs not grow 1 iuiultaucously with theui. 1 Wo cannot urge too frequently upon 1 ( ginners the importance of heavy seeding, :1 .i wiiro ta caiu oiianalt l.if tlia nl-into ta ao V/ ?iu?v I w ?JVI? vuvuqM ivn inv w l/V. upy all of the land?leave no place for 1 itruders. Sow enough to allow for defect- 1 re seed ? for adulterated seed, and for the ' ying out of weak plants. After one has :1 iken all the trouble oi thorough prepara- ' ion and heavy manuring?such as grass ( cijuiivs?it is folly to fail from insufficient 1 ceding. ' Wry light covering of the seed is of the rst importance ; deep covering will cer- t ainly bring failure. Hut when lightly i overcd, seeds will not germinate well i' ; he weather is dry. unless they are firmly i iressed into the soil. Ilence the import i nee of the roller. It is almost indispen- i able in grass culture ; it smooths and levels ' he ground for the mower, presses small ; oeks below the surface, hastens the gernination of seeds, and imparts vigor to the : oung plants. Heavy, impacting rains i nay do some of the work of the roller, nit in their absence the surface soil is too imi.-c an l too easily dried oil Tor tlie little I ilunt to establish itself in it. Kenicnibcr, i hat at lir.-t its roots start at or very near lie surface. It is not in the situation of a ilant springing from a seed hurried two or hrec inches below the surface. The oat crop has been so often winterkilled of late that many arc discouraged mil disposed to abandon the practice of 'all-sowing. Wc confess that recent expe ienee has been very discouraging. I?ut in ricw of tlie great value of the crop, when 1 does succeed wc arc loth to abandon it. Wo have faith iu tho posoibility uf developing, by proper selection and cultivation, a winter oat capable of resisting extreme cold. What is knowu iu Middle Georgia is ''winter grazing oat" does certainly resist cold better than other varieties. Iu this locality, the past winter, the mercury lescended to zero aud tho cold was long continued, aud yet a good deal of this oat survived, and by its abundant lillcriog uuado from one-fourth to one-third of a crop. In most fields of rust-proof oats sown in .Ultlimn SMtlnrinr* stnnlvi pnnlil ntsr? ? ? ? "WVW VV,M,W M,MV bo fouud, and that too iu positions not specially sheltered. Now if, without select iou and from indiscriminate sowings of seed, individual plauts spring up with power to withstand intense cold, why, with proper care, could not a hardy variety be propagated and established from these coldresisting plauts '{ We have faith that it lau be done, and our laith is based on facts like these, related by Darwin in his tvork on Animals and Plants under douies.icatioQ : "Wheat <juiekly assumes new aabits of life. The summer and winter iinds were classed by Linnaeus as distinct species; but M. Monnier has proved that .he dilfereuce between them is only temporary. He sowed winter wheat iu spring, tnd out of ouc hundred plauts four alone aroduced ripe seed ; these were sown and csown, and in three years plants were reared which ripened all their seed, Conversely, nearly all the plants raised from summer wheat, which was sown in autumn, icrished from frost ; but a low wore saved md produced seed, and in three years this iumtucr variety was converted into a winter raricty. Our habit lias been to sow iudisuiuiiuately, as chance or convenience might lecidcj spring grown oats in the fall and all grown oats in the spiing. Is it any vonder that we have no lixed varieties idapted to either season? Sonic time ago wo lrged the careful saving of all rust-proof >ats that survived the past winter. We lope it has been done and that they will )0 sown this month, and the same thing epeated lor at least three years, The present 'crop covers all of our experience with the winter grazing oat. It was lot ready iu eOt until the liJih of July, hough sown on the liOth ol October last, l'ossihlv iio having 1 . binned out by the . old, and the tillering em. j nt thcrcou, nay have retarded its ripening. l>ut alhougii June was a very wet month and juuebes ol' ryo distributed through these iats were badly rusted, the oats had no rust whatever. We shall sow it again and 1.? vuii;ii ii^uno. Neither barley nor rye were killed by the (Xtreuio cold of the past winter. To some ixtcut, therefore, these can be made to ake the place of fall oats?barley on the ichor and rjc on the poorer lands. Willi licse cover the bare Cotton fields during the viutcr andsave theui froui washing and leach ng. Simply harrow in the seed?don't break ip the land and increase the facilities for or washing. When green, these crops can >e cut and fed to horses and cows ; when natured, they can bo harvested, threshed tnd ground and make most excellent stock ecd. l?yo straw commands ready sale for illing in horse collars and other purposes, >ut the stalls and slock yards may well dis>osc of it all. Our soils cry aloud for hunus?let us take every opportunity to sup>ly it. Some oik has suggested that oats uid rye might ho sown together?if the Kits ,-hould ho killed the rye would not and he land would still be occupied with a lesirablo crop. We see no objection except lie unequal ripening of the two crops, but is rye will remain standing without waste by .sonic time :i(lor it ripens it could wait >11 the oats. I p_>n the whole the sujjtljos,ioii strikes us as 4, good one, worthy o( joing tested by trial. A friend has recently called our attention to tiie successlul culture, in this vicinity, of a grass variously called "Sehradors ^rass,' Australian oats, Keseuo grass, .'tc., liromus unioloides or Schradcri being its technieal name, lie spoke very highly jf it as a winter grazing grass, growing very rapidly in early spring and producing 1 large quantity "f broad, nutritious leaves. Though sometimes called "rescue and resembling grass g< neraily known by that name, it is said to be much larger and more luxuriant in its growth and decidedly more valuable. Our seedsmen hero inform us that there is considerable demand f>r the seed in Louisiana and Texas, where it is highly esteemed. It is said by some authorities to bo perennial . i?y oiiievs to be an annual. We learn ill ?t it was partially killed here by the extraordinary cold of last winter, but usual Cold does not hurl it. It would probably thrive below the thirty-fourth decree of latitude. This is the proper month in which to sow burr clover and crimson clover. IJoth v>l these are annuals ; beginning growth in autumn thjy mature ami die by the 1st of the following June. They are valuab'o plants, especially in localities where ordinary red clover will not thrive. Our friends below the head of navigation in our rivers could liavo as Goo clover pastures in the spring, from theso two plants, as could be seen anywhere. Make the grouud rich, sow a plenty of seed in September and cover theui lightly; that is the whole secret. Towards the last of the month pea-vines and crab-grass will be ready for mowing and curing. Farmers scorn tj be pretty gcucrally of the opiuion that pea vines should not be cut uutil young peas form on j them ; that the peas are less apt to drop off nii.ii iiuu iiiu viucs more casny cureu iiiau at an early stage. If left too late the steuis become woody and hard, aud arc worthless as forage, lioth oxtrcuictics then are to be avoided. It is a difficult forage to cure and opinions vary as to the best method of doing it. ll'oue has abundant house-room, or the uicacs of providing cheap, temporary shelters, it is unquestionably best to put the viue u::dor cover as soon as they arc fairly wilted, hanging thcui on poles, or arranging in acme way so as to allow a free circulation of air. A loft with a slatted or open floor is an excellent place to cure this or any kind of forage. In the absence of the above appliances the vines uiav b>* pnt iu small cocks?narrow but high?and if the weather is dry several of these may bo thrown together into a larger cock on tho third or fourth day. Constant regard should be had to avoid exposing much sur? face to su 1 or dew. Hence high and nar row cocks arc recommended. It is ditticult to have them properly made by ordinary hands ; this is one of the things a farmer should personally supervise. Crabgruss makes very good hay if cut at the proper time, which is just as the seeds are forming and before they arc ripe. The seeds drop off readily when mature, and whatever of the substance of the plant passes into seeds is thus lost. Cut and cure, therefore, before the seed will drop olT and before the stalks become woody. They arc too small to be stiff, but when old they become woody, nevertheless, and loso thJr Jigestib-iiiy, just as ever-ripo etr .w "does.? II". /,. Jour*) in Southern Cultivator. ? Destitution in Texas,?Washington, Sept. Id.? First Auditor Chenowcth has just returned from a month's visit to Texas. He gives a sad picture of the destitution and suflcring there on account of the drought. 11c is astonished that tlicro has been so little said ou this subject. Ho says it '? estimated that in Jack County not twenty bushels of corn and wheat havo come up. The drought extends from beyond Fort Worth up into the Dan Handle. This is a line grazing country aud a lajgo amount of slock is kept there. This year, however, it has been impossible to sunnlv II ?/ the stock with water. People have been obliged to haul water for household purposes for twenty and thirty miles. There arc lew running streams and a few artesian wells. A great deal of stock has famished. In large tracts of country the people havo almost nothing to eat. They made no gardens and have no potatoes or other vogo tal ies. While .fudge Chcnoweth was in Texas he presided over several relief meetings where people were collecting seed corn, wheat and money to send to the sufferers, II says tlio fanners in the regions affected by the drought are generally of small means, and depend upon their products from year to year for subsistence. They thus find themselves immediately in nmnc f..!! Two flmi.s Wkary ok Lif,k.?Dundee. Mich., September III.?Two young and pie ty girls, named S ella Vogelsang, of this place, and Ada Laflington, of Monroe. attempted suicide to-day by taking chloroform. They were together on tho streets in tho forenoon, apparently happy, but near noon they secured a vial of chloroform and repaired to the outskirts of tho village, where they seated themselves by the roadside and prepared to die. They wrote letters saying that it was their last day upon earth; that no one carod for them ; that tin- people of Dundee had traducod them until they wanted to die. They were discovered in time to save their lives, though at first it was thought that Miss L'lilington was dead. Nor 11 Kit First Aim'KARAnkk.?Lawyer t to a timid young woman)?Have yen : ever appeared as witness in a suit before? \ oiimr tr.witort / Kliiklnmr V i><>? ?>? ? J n vriaiiiu -jrvr. OH , I or course. Lawyer?Please state to the jury juflt ; what suit it was. Young woman (with more oonfidcuec)? I It was a nun s veiling, shirred down the front and trimmed with a lovely blue, with ' hat to match? .1 ud.-c { rapping violently)?()rdcr in the i court!